***Official*** India in Australia

[iamdavid]

I have a feeling they wont push Dravid back up to open despite it probably being in the teams interests.
Which would make things very tricky as they really cant leave Pathan out and they'll want/need Harbhajan if Adelaide conditions are typical.

Possibly Pathan to open?, I know longterm it isnt really viable, but just as a one off to allow them to put the best possible side on the park for this test match.

 

[Matt79]

I have a feeling they wont push Dravid back up to open despite it probably being in the teams interests.
Which would make things very tricky as they really cant leave Pathan out and they'll want/need Harbhajan if Adelaide conditions are typical.

Possibly Pathan to open?, I know longterm it isnt really viable, but just as a one off to allow them to put the best possible side on the park for this test match.

I've heard worse ideas tbh...

 

[Matt79]

Call it soccer again........

It will always be soccer to me.

 

[Jono]

I have a feeling they wont push Dravid back up to open despite it probably being in the teams interests.
Which would make things very tricky as they really cant leave Pathan out and they'll want/need Harbhajan if Adelaide conditions are typical.

Possibly Pathan to open?, I know longterm it isnt really viable, but just as a one off to allow them to put the best possible side on the park for this test match.

Pathan's opened before, and done well.

Issue is, after opening the bowling he may be too tired? Then again if you play 5 bowlers that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Craig]

It will always be soccer to me.

Impressed you didn't jump on tha bandwagon like a lot of this country did, especially the media

 

[James90]

How good are India? Bloody awesome IMO.

 

[roseboy64]

Avatar Craig? Don't do an Evermind...

You should pay more attention.

 

[Matt79]

Pathan's opened before, and done well.

Issue is, after opening the bowling he may be too tired? Then again if you play 5 bowlers that shouldn't be an issue.

If he knows that he's going in with the specific job of lasting an hour or 90 minutes to take the shine off the ball for Dravid, Sachin and Ganguly, and that anything more than that is simply a bonus, then that shouldn't be too daunting.

So long as its not a long term thing, because my understanding is that previous attempts to turn him into a batting allrounder contributed significantly to his loss of form?

 

[Craig]

Pathan's opened before, and done well.

Issue is, after opening the bowling he may be too tired? Then again if you play 5 bowlers that shouldn't be an issue.

Sehwag
Pathan
Dravid
Tendulkar
Ganguly
Laxman
+Dhoni
Kumble
Harbhajan
RP Singh
Sharma

Certainly looks a bit more balanced there, if it does look a tad left field. My only concern would be does he have the technique to survive the new ball? IIRC it was against Sri Lanka he opened, which is a lot different to facing Lee and Clark with the new ball though.

 

[Matt79]

Sehwag
Pathan
Dravid
Tendulkar
Ganguly
Laxman
+Dhoni
Kumble
Harbhajan
RP Singh
Sharma

Certainly looks a bit more balanced there, if it does look a tad left field. My only concern would be does he have the technique to survive the new ball? IIRC it was against Sri Lanka he opened, which is a lot different to facing Lee and Clark with the new ball though.

But Jaffer is a walking wicket for Lee at the moment anyway, and he brings a lot with the ball...

 

[Matt79]

Aussie team should be:

Jaques (with a flea in his ear from the selectors)
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Gilchrist
Hogg
Lee
Johnson
Clark
12th: Not Tait (let him go get some match practice somewhere and come back when he's fit and firing)

 

[social]

Really? Show it please.

Today is prime example

Anyone that has played the game long enough that it roughly works out evenly

 

[aussie_26]

Please explain what your reply has to do with my post? I said India had every right to celebrate, much more so than the Twenty20 win and you reply by saying that Twenty20 is down to luck and Australia are better at everything?

i thought you were saying that the 20/20 win was a big deal when it is not, i still dont see what india have to be so happy about they have failed to do what they came to australia to do

 

[roseboy64]

It will always be soccer to me.

Poor guy.

 

[Matt79]

Poor guy.

It's alright, I have real football to distract me from all that I'm missing out on.

 

[iamdavid]

My only concern would be does he have the technique to survive the new ball? IIRC it was against Sri Lanka he opened, which is a lot different to facing Lee and Clark with the new ball though.

I'm pretty confident he'll cope with it, the Adelaide wicket will hardly be a green-top, and while I dont think his batting is regular top-6 standard he does have a good eye and pretty simple, effective technique.

And as Matt79 said he can hardly do a worse job than Jaffer is doing atm.

 

[Jono]

Haha didn't really think of it as a change as he was always pencilled in for Adelaide anyways.

But ftr, I'm still so upset at Jaques that I'd consider letting Rogers stay instead of him at Adelaide. I know it's not right as he's earned the spot with a terrific FC career as well as a great start in Tests, but far out some of those shots were stupid.

I think you (Prince) made an excellent post a hundred pages or so ago, that he's gotten to complacent and has to go back and start grafting and grinding runs again like against SL.

If you're not going to play Jaques in Adelaide, can India borrow him for one test?

 

[shankar]

Yeah I'm for Pathan opening as well. Both Ishant and Pathan look ordinary with the old ball, Fortunately we were able to get the top order out with the new ball. So it'd be a risk to go into Adelaide with just 4 bowlers. And like someone said, Jaffer's not likely to make more than 10-15 anyway.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I love reading back through tour threads with the benefit of hindsight. Props to these Nostradamuses:

Sehwag and Tendulkar could be very effective, if they can put the ball in the right areas.

Johnson to ton up.

Partial credit, but PEWS was the first to call a score from Mitchell.

Well, this has been the series of the wagging tails...

If McGrath was batting 11 I'd still hold some hope, can't see Tait lasting long.

87 needed.

Wicket to fall before we get another run.

yea i know wtffff is happening....Australian cricket team and now Federer MAY lose ..jebus (he'll win in 5 tho )

&, not an original thought from Volts, but it definitely bears repeating:

****, Healy is dire

Great game of cricket, warm and deserved congrats to India & credit to Australia for the very sanguine way they've copped a couple of ropey decisions in their second innings.

 

[andruid]

Yeah I'm for Pathan opening as well. Both Ishant and Pathan look ordinary with the old ball, Fortunately we were able to get the top order out with the new ball. So it'd be a risk to go into Adelaide with just 4 bowlers. And like someone said, Jaffer's not likely to make more than 10-15 anyway.

*At which point Jaffer is visited by an angel who reminds him why he was selected for India and he responds by grinding out a 250 ball century*